Wrong Aspiration: Ill will vs. Harmfulness

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bhavanirodha
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 9:09 pm

Wrong Aspiration: Ill will vs. Harmfulness

Post by bhavanirodha »

Dear all,

given that I've just read this bit by Ven. Bodhi...

http://www.budsas.org/ebud/bd8p/bd8p_13.htm

I was wondering if anyone can provide some dilineation as to the difference between aspirations of ill will vs aspirations of harmfulness. Scriptural references or your own commentary, anything would be great! :jumping:

I ask because the ven diagram I have in my head of these two has something like a 95% overlap. Granted, I suppose the same could be said for metta and karuna. And further, I suspect that a correct understanding of these two types of wrong aspiration may help to better understand their opposites as right aspirations.

Metta and peace,
Bowing and thanks,
Andrew
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Mkoll
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Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:55 pm
Location: USA

Re: Wrong Aspiration: Ill will vs. Harmfulness

Post by Mkoll »

Speaking my own mind without consulting the suttas, here is my offering...

Ill will is more subtle than the intention of harmfulness and precedes it. One could have ill will towards form, for example when one feels a tearing sensation in one's knee whilst walking or meditating and ill will arises. The remedy for ill-will is loving-kindness.

The intention of harmfulness is more gross than ill will and is subsequent to it. One could have harmfulness towards form as in the above example; the difference is that there is anger arising relatively concurrently to it. The remedy for ill-will is compassion.

The reason I give for this is that loving-kindess is the first brahmavihara and compassion is the second. Loving-kindness is necessary for compassion and thus ill will is necessary for harmfulness.

I hope that helps and I hope someone comes along to clarify this with words of Dhamma :smile:

:heart: Metta :heart:
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
santa100
Posts: 6814
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:55 pm

Re: Wrong Aspiration: Ill will vs. Harmfulness

Post by santa100 »

They come in 2 opposite pairs:

1. Loving kindness/metta (the wish for the welfare and happiness of others) as the opposite of Ill will/byapada (resentment/bitterness toward others)
2. Compassion/karuna (the empathy with others' suffering) as the opposite of harmfulness/vihimsa (thoughts or acts to harm or injure others)

For further info., check out Ven. Nyanaponika detailed footnotes for MN 8 here..( http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .nypo.html )
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